The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

At least 50 people including five policemen were injured in clashes between activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Shibir with law enforcers near the Baitul Mokarram mosque yesterday.

On the first day of the five-day ultimatum Jamaat and Shibir leaders and workers gathered outside the mosque after Asr prayers, chanting anti-government slogans and demanding the release of ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, police said.

But police tried to resist the supporters of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir from staging demonstrations on the street in front of the north gate of the national mosque in protest against the arrest of their leaders.

Nizami, Mujahid and senior BNP leader M Saifur Rahman-all three ministers of the immediate-past government-were sent to Dhaka Central Jail after they surrendered and sought bail in a special court in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case on Monday.

Jamaat and its student associates started gathering in front of the north gate of the mosque from 3:00 pm, source said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Nahidul Islam told the New Nation, "At one stage, the protesters took to the streets. When police requested them to give up the road and make room for traffic movement, they refused."

A group from inside the mosque compounds pelted brickbats at the police. As tension mounted, police baton charged to disperse the agitators, said the police official.

The clashes continued for about one hour during which some 45 people were injured, four policemen, among them, Nahidul Islam.

Traffic movement in the area came to a halt, police said.

"Police eventually brought the situation under control with the help of some Jamaat leaders," he added.

A tense situation was prevailing in the area. Police reinforcements were deployed there to avert any further untoward incident.

A senior police official unwilling to disclose his name told the New Nation that no one would be allowed to stage demonstrations in the country till November 27.

The city secretary of Jamaat Hamidur Rahman Azad told reporters that they would free their leaders within five days.

We were staging demonstrations after Asr prayers, but police baton charged and broke up our peaceful rally.

The city Jamaat in a press release issued last night deplored the police action on its leaders and worker in a peaceful rally in the city.